Grasping For Sanity in a Nation Gone Mad

Over the past few weeks I’ve written (and in some cases, deleted) a number of drafts for posts looking at the state of the nation and what I think is contributing to its decline. I haven’t posted those articles for many reasons. One is that they are all long-ish (1500-3000 words) and try to cover too much in one bite. Also, on second reading they come across as mostly gussied-up rants without a clear, unambiguous call to action. Some of what’s in them is inflammatory in personal and/or institutional ways. Since I understand that what goes out on the net has a tendency to linger, I do try to be mindful of what I say and to whom. In the current climate, it seems prudent to use precision-aimed blog articles to avoid unnecessary collateral damage.

In a nutshell, it feels like we’ve passed some sort of tipping point — one that lessens the country and steps on its founding ideals. We have entered the first (or maybe even second) stage of an institutionalized, controlling state. We are clearly a police state that doesn’t brook much in the way of dissent. If you don’t happen to be a white male of an acceptable Christian persuasion and above some minimum income, then your loyalty/patriotism/morality/usefulness is immediately suspect and can be a target for legislative action. Education has become secondary to profit-earning potential — especially for those the people work for.

Fear, hatred, and lawsuits are supplanting courage, acceptance, and creativity. Women, the LGBT community, the poor, the ruined-by-the-system, and more are having to redouble their efforts to grasp and keep the same rights and protections as those mostly white guys I mentioned before.

First they came for the communists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

— Martin Niemöller

Why has this happened? Part of it comes from the well-heeled having embraced the “greed is good” philosophy with vigor. For them, how they get their money is less important than the fact that they get their money. By removing most of the legal restraints to capitalism, the fox has gotten to rule the hen house. A major factor in this is that white males discovered they were near to falling off the perch as masters of their domain. But then they saw the cultures in the Middle East…the ones we tended to war against. Their ruling class (inevitably male) seemed happy in their situation, what with the marginalization of those in the society who weren’t them — women, infidels, etc. So, in a stunning turn, American power-mongers have slowly been deconstructing the nation to something more selfishly amenable. With the brazen addition of “the big lie”, they’ve managed to make many those who will eventually be under their heel agree that it’s a good idea.

Unfortunately, this movement isn’t confined to one country’s borders. Other versions are trying to spread to every populated continent and country not already in some form of totalitarian bubble. As a result, there aren’t that many places a person can escape to…assuming you’d be allowed you to stay at your destination.

While I won’t give details, for many above-board reasons, my family knows what it’s like to be monitored by the government…though the reasons for that have faded with time. I don’t doubt that the very fact I have an active blog has also encouraged an official peek from time to time. It’s something that I’ve come to accept. Even with that as my history, I find the current US security-excused culture to be overly intrusive and controlling. This isn’t the country I grew up in. I’m not alone with this opinion. There are a lot of similarly [once-]officially-tracked people who hold a similar view.

All I find I can do is spread the word when I can and pick the fights I’m willing to fight — not necessarily any that I think I’m going to win — and encourage others to do likewise. To do otherwise is to surrender with nary a whisper…and I wouldn’t do that to you.